A mother from the UK wanted in Albania on suspicion of involvement in a planned attack is resisting extradition from a undisclosed location due to concerns of potential retaliation.
Harriet Bridgeman, aged 30, allegedly disguised herself as a tourist alongside three accomplices at a luxury hotel owned by their target, Ardian Nikulaj. They are accused of surveilling Nikulaj while enjoying complimentary meals from him and conversing with his spouse.
Subsequently, another member of the group entered the hotel restaurant and shot Nikulaj six times at close range days later. Gruesome CCTV footage from the incident in April 2023 captured the assailant using a Soviet-manufactured automatic firearm before escaping.
Bridgeman is currently residing in a coastal hotel under a night-time curfew, following a £20,000 bail payment by her father to Westminster Magistrates’ Court. District Judge Michael Snow has prohibited the disclosure of Bridgeman’s location to safeguard her against potential reprisals, as she mingles with unsuspecting guests and families at the hotel.
The other suspects include Steven Hunt, 51, and Thomas Mithan, 37, from Bristol, and Harry Simpson, 34, a convicted drug trafficker from Abbey Wood, south London. Albanian authorities allege that one of them signaled the gunman to carry out the attack.
Edmond Haxhia, a 40-year-old British-Albanian, is accused of orchestrating the hit as part of a longstanding feud between his family and the victim’s, dating back to a 1997 homicide, which has resulted in multiple fatalities over nearly three decades.
Bridgeman, Hunt, Mithan, and Haxhia were apprehended in the UK on international warrants shortly after the murder. They deny all charges and have contested extradition proceedings. Ruben Saraiva, the suspected gunman, is in Albania awaiting trial after being arrested in Morocco post-incident.
Following a comprehensive extradition hearing last August, District Judge Daniel Sternberg ruled that Bridgeman, Mithan, Simpson, and Haxhia should be extradited to Albania, based on the government’s allegations of their involvement in the murder plot.
The extradition of the five individuals is pending, with an ongoing Court of Appeal hearing challenging the decision. The Home Office acknowledged a potential error that could jeopardize the proceedings and sought clarification from Albanian authorities regarding the charges against the suspects.
Initially accused of illegal possession of firearms and murder in Albania, the suspects now face revised charges of premeditated murder. Albania has provided assurances regarding the charges, addressing the concerns raised during the appeal hearing this week.